When did you/will you stop washing baby's new clothes - Page 2

[marimara]

Originally Posted by bananabee

New clothes are treated with formaldehyde, which is often called "sizing". It repells dirt, prevents wrinkles and fading. It's a poison and carcinogen. I'm allergic to it and have to wash new clothing and bedding about 6 times before I can touch it w/o having a bad reaction. Darker clothing I may have to wash even more times, as it seems to be harder to get it out.

Yep, this. We have sensitive skin in my family but even if we didn't I would still wash first. Clothes are too rough if they aren't washed first.

[netgyks]

We wash first also, everything, I break out in a rash trying clothes on at the store and I'm intensely grossed out by the thought of chemicals all over stuff.

Even though we have more money now than we have ever had, we buy 95% of our clothes used. Many items at Goodwill and The Salvation Army Store are in excellent condition! Reusing clothes seems quite logical for us. The exceptions are underwear, bras and pants and when I find an occasional super deal on the clearance rack. It's just too hard to find pants for my husband in his waist/length combo.

Used clothes get several cycles through the wash because I can't get rid of that GROSS overpowering scent of cheap fabric softener! My sense of smell is acute and it drives me nuts, makes my eyes water, etc.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

I always wash everyone's new clothes before we wear them.

Yep. I have a friend in the garment industry,clothes can be sprayed with sizing and such so they hang well on the hanger.

[Pookietooth]

I wash everyone's clothes first even mine (I hate that new clothes smell and feel). And secondhand ones often smell of fabric softener, febreeze, etc. so I wash those too (usually twice).

[peaceful_mama]

I pre-wash everything I buy for everybody, new or used, sealed or unsealed. Even the underwear in the sealed packs--hubby is the only one who does not do this.

I just don't know what went on in the factory that put them there and really, I'm *always* doing a load anyway so it's not really that hard to just toss the new stuff in.

plus with used stuff you don't know where it came from or if it was washed before you got it usually (barring stuff from friends)

[ourdayourjourney]

it all depends on your little one.

my oldest (6 years) has sensitive skin, so i still need to prewash her clothes.

[Phridae]

I was everything before it's worn also. For the whole family.
I once had to put a pair of socks on DS moment after we bought them, and I felt really bad, thinking about what kind of nasties could be on them.

[4myfinn]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

I wash everything new, for everyone in my family, and always have. I'm not a germaphobe, but I don't know what kinds of chemicals might be on them, or who has been handling them.

[Shellie]

I'm a washer...my dh loves to wear new clothing with the sizing still in them but it's chemicals and ick that I don't want absorbed by my kids' skin!!

[hakeber]

Obviously this thread is seriously making me rethink my philosophy on this, but...

I have never pre-washed anything for my kids or my family or myself, nor do I recall my parents ever doing this for us...my mom did wash a bunch of onsies for DD during the first week, but the rest I have just opened up the gifts and put them on her.

I have never had any reaction to new clothes, nor has DS or DH and so far neither has DD.

I have never thought about it before...but I am thinking now.

So...for those who wash EVERYTHING before you wear it, does that go for Dry clean only too? Do you take things to the cleaners before you use them? Do you have quilts and duvet covers dry cleaned before using them?

I seriously can say with all certainty and sincerity this has NEVER occurred to me before now.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by hakeber

I have never thought about it before...but I am thinking now.

I seriously can say with all certainty and sincerity this has NEVER occurred to me before now.

Smallpox was once spread through blankets. This really isn't a new idea. Some historians believe it was deliberate, others say unintentional, but the results were the same either way.

Letters exist between two other British officers, Jeffrey Amherst and Henry Bouquet, that explicitly advocate the idea of using smallpox-infested blankets to kill Indians.[22]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populat...genous_peoples

Infectious diseases are typically spread through close contact, such as hugging, kissing, sharing clothing, bedclothes, or eating utensils and cups, and being generally affectionate.

http://www.medical-look.com/Infectious_diseases/

Of course, that all centers on disease and doesn't even start to look at just the chemical factors..

[hakeber]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Smallpox was once spread through blankets. This really isn't a new idea. Some historians believe it was deliberate, others say unintentional, but the results were the same either way.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populat...genous_peoples



http://www.medical-look.com/Infectious_diseases/

Of course, that all centers on disease and doesn't even start to look at just the chemical factors..

Yeah, I know pre-washing is not a new idea, it's just I never really thought about The Gap being a host for germ/chemical warfare. I wasn't aware they were in cohoots with the imperial forces.

Just kidding. I do know the history of the US forces and their genocidal war on the indigenous people of North America...I just never connected those thoughts to my wardrobe today. It's never really been done in my family or my husband's. We all wear things off the rack and dress our kids in the same.

But it's definitely giving me something to think about. Scary stuff.

[bananabee]

Originally Posted by hakeber

I have never thought about it before...but I am thinking now.

So...for those who wash EVERYTHING before you wear it, does that go for Dry clean only too? Do you take things to the cleaners before you use them? Do you have quilts and duvet covers dry cleaned before using them?

I seriously can say with all certainty and sincerity this has NEVER occurred to me before now.

I've never had an allergic reaction to trying on new dry-clean only clothes. But I also don't take my dry-clean only clothes to the dry cleaners because I know those chemicals are toxic. Instead, I wash them in the washing machine with soap nuts and iron them myself. They come out great. It's amazing and sooo much cheaper, not to mention better for me. It's mostly "permanent press" clothing that is treated with sizing, i.e. formaldehyde, which again is a known carcinogen. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/f...k/formaldehyde

Formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see Question 4).

1. What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household products. It is used in pressed-wood products, such as particleboard, plywood, and fiberboard; glues and adhesives; permanent-press fabrics; paper product coatings; and certain insulation materials. In addition, formaldehyde is commonly used as an industrial fungicide, germicide, and disinfectant, and as a preservative in mortuaries and medical laboratories.

[Breeder]

I still wash my 7 year old's clothes before he wears them (and obviously the toddler). I'm not as diligent about the grownup clothes when purchased new though I should be.

The second hand stuff always gets washed (including the dry clean stuff - I wash it myself) if I can get it away from my husband before he wears it. That grosses me out but he doesn't care. Ick.

[HungryCaterpillar]

I never used to wash new clothes, but once I started doing it for the baby I decided it was a good habit and have been doing it for my own clothes as well. (DH does his own laundry.) This thread has definitely made me more aware of just WHY this is such a good idea!

Not washing new clothes is an old habit - in the past I've had so many things shrink or bleed after washing that I want to make sure I get "one good wear" out of things before I risk ruining them. This hasn't actually happened to me in a long time, since over the years I've gotten better about reading labels and buying comfortable sizes and purposefully avoiding stuff I know is easily ruined.